Medical delivery system with a rotatable coding element

Abstract

A medical delivery system having a container and a dosing assembly, and wherein one of the container and the dosing assembly comprises a rotatable element adapted to engage the other one of the container and the dosing assembly. A container suitable for use in said medical delivery system. A dosing assembly suitable for use in said medical delivery system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical delivery system comprising:
 a container adapted to contain a medicament in a chamber defined by the container and a slidably arranged piston which is moveable in a distal direction towards an outlet so as to reduce the volume of the chamber and expel the medicament through the outlet; 
 a dosing assembly adapted to be fastened to the container, so as to allow a driver of the dosing assembly to move the piston of the container in the distal direction; 
 
       wherein the dosing assembly defines a first fastening structure which during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly engages a second fastening structure of the container whereby the container is fastened to the dosing assembly through a predetermined movement defined by at least one of the first and the second fastening structure, wherein at least a part of said predetermined movement is a concurrent axial and rotational movement, the predetermined movement being less than one revolution;
 wherein one of the container and the dosing assembly defines a first part comprising a rotatable element defining at least one protrusion and/or indentation which during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly are adapted to be received by/in one or more corresponding indentation or protrusion of a second part which is defined by the other one of the container and the dosing assembly, 
 said rotatable element is adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of and relative to the first part during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly, the rotatable element being adapted to be retained in a predetermined angular position relative to the first part prior to fastening the container to the dosing assembly, and 
 wherein the rotatable element comprises at least one radially extending knob which upon radial expansion of the rotatable element disengages a depression defined in a part fixedly arranged relative to the first fastening structure, whereby the rotatable element is unlocked relative to the first fastening structure and allowed to rotate about a center axis of and relative to the first fastening structure, and 
 wherein the first and the second fastening structure the at least one protrusion and the at least one corresponding indentation are arranged such that the first and second fastening structure must at least partly engage in order for the one or more protrusions to be received in the one or more corresponding indentation(s). 
 
     
     
       2. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element is locked for rotation relative to the container during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly. 
     
     
       3. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element is locked for translational movement relative to the first part. 
     
     
       4. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions and/or indentations extend in a substantially axial and/or radial direction of the device. 
     
     
       5. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element is a ring-shaped element. 
     
     
       6. A medical delivery system according to  claim 5 , wherein the ring-shaped element comprises said at least one protrusion and is adapted to contract radially upon advancement of the at least one protrusion into the corresponding indentation of the second part. 
     
     
       7. A medical delivery system according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one protrusion of the ring-shaped element is v-shaped. 
     
     
       8. A medical delivery system according to  claim 5 , wherein the ring-shaped element comprises at least one protrusion and is adapted to expand radially upon advancement of each of the at least one protrusion into the corresponding indentation of the second part. 
     
     
       9. A medical delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one protrusion defines a loop. 
     
     
       10. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element comprises at least one radially extending knob which upon radial contraction or expansion of the rotatable element disengages a depression defined in the first part, whereby the rotatable element is unlocked from the first part and allowed to rotate about a center axis of and relative to the first part. 
     
     
       11. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element is adapted to be retained in a plurality of rotational positions relative to the first part. 
     
     
       12. A medical delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a cartridge holder defining said second fastening structure, and a cartridge defining said chamber, and wherein the cartridge is non-detachably attached to the cartridge holder. 
     
     
       13. A medical delivery system comprising:
 a container adapted to contain a medicament in a chamber defined by the container and a slidably arranged piston which is moveable in a distal direction towards an outlet so as to reduce the volume of the chamber and expel the medicament through the outlet; 
 a dosing assembly adapted to be fastened to the container, so as to allow a driver of the dosing assembly to move the piston of the container in the distal direction; 
 
       wherein the dosing assembly defines a first fastening structure which during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly engages a second fastening structure of the container whereby the container is fastened to the dosing assembly through a predetermined movement defined by at least one of the first and the second fastening structure, the predetermined movement being less than one revolution;
 wherein one of the container and the dosing assembly defines a first part comprising a rotatable element defining at least one protrusion and/or indentation which during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly are adapted to be received by/in one or more corresponding indentation or protrusion of a second part which is defined by the other one of the container and the dosing assembly, and 
 said rotatable element is adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of and relative to the first part during fastening of the container to the dosing assembly, the rotatable element being adapted to be retained in a predetermined angular position relative to the first part prior to fastening of the container to the dosing assembly, and 
 wherein the first and the second fastening structure the at least one protrusion and the at least one corresponding indentation are arranged such that the first and second fastening structure must at least partly engage in order for the one or more protrusions to be received in the at least one or more corresponding indentation(s), and 
 wherein at least a part of said predetermined movement is a concurrent axial and rotational movement, and 
 
       wherein at least one of:
 the first and second fastening structure, and 
 the at least one protrusion and/or indentation of the rotatable element of the container, 
 
       are adapted to prevent a part of the axial and/or rotational movement of the predetermined movement, so as to prevent coupling of the container to the dosing assembly, unless:
 each of the first and second fastening structure defines a predetermined coding geometry, 
 each of the protrusion(s) of the rotatable element and/or indentation(s) of the container defines a predetermined coding geometry, and 
 the rotatable element is positioned in a predetermined angular position relative to the first fastening structure. 
 
     
     
       14. A medical delivery system according to  claim 13 , wherein the coding geometry of each of the first and/or second fastening structure, and each of the protrusion(s) of the rotatable element and/or indentation(s) of the container is defined by at least one of:
 a circumferential extent of the first and second fastening structure, 
 an axial extent of the first and second fastening structure, 
 a radial extent of the first and second fastening structure and the circumferential position of the first and second fastening structure.